NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The CNU women's soccer team will open its 2010 season on Friday night in a neutral site contest against the top-ranked team in the nation, Messiah College. The Captains will play the Falcons at 5:00 pm on the campus of Virginia-Wesleyan College as a part of the 2010 Marlins Classic.

CNU, the 2009 USA South Champs and 2010 pre-season favorites to repeat, will be playing in their first regular season game of the year when they travel to face Messiah. Messiah, ranked number one overall and winners of three national championships in the last five years, will also be opening their 2010 slate with the game.

Head coach Ruth Keegan is entering her third season with the Captains, who are returning five of their top six leading scorers from a year ago. In fact, the Captains return 78% of their scoring from 2009, including leading scorer and rising senior Sam Ciaravino, who led CNU with 18 points and eight goals.

Messiah returns the last two National Players of the Year in the 2009 winner, Erin Hench, and 2008 honoree, Amanda Naeher. Head coach Scott Frey has directed the Falcons to a 49-0-3 mark in the last two seasons.

The game will begin at 5:00 pm at VWC, with live stats being provided through the Marlins website at: http://www.vwc.edu/athletics/wsoccer/live/xlive.htm